Top Lines of the Night

Chicago Blackhawks @ New York Islanders

On any given night this season, picking against the Islanders is a pretty solid option, so take a long look at the Hawks’ top line tonight. Panarin and Anisimov each had a multi-point game on Tuesday against the Rangers in Chicago’s 2-1 win. Anisimov had a goal and an assist and Panarin notched two helpers. That’s six points in seven games for Anisimov, who had tailed off a bit after a hot start to the season. Panarin has five points in his last six games and the duo are tied for second on the team with 26 points. Kane was held off the score sheet against the Rangers but still has 28 points in 31 games to lead the team in scoring. In his career, Kane has 15 points in 10 games against the Islanders, including a multi-goal outing at Barclays Center last year.

Anaheim Ducks @ Boston Bruins

With Tuukka Rask starting three games in five days, including playing last night, the Ducks’ top line could have a very favorable matchup tonight with Bruins’ backup Anton Khudobin. Perry collected a power play goal (PPG) on Tuesday night against the Stars to push his point streak to six games. He has three goals, five assists and three multi-point outings on his current run. Getzlaf had a goal and an assist as well on Tuesday and now has points in two straight outings. Rakell added an assist on Getzlaf’s goal on Monday to push his point streak to three games. He has added seven SOG in his last two games as well and has points in seven of his last 10 games overall.

Superstar to Build Around

Vladimir Tarasenko ($7,900) – Vlad rides a four-game point streak into a very favorable matchup tonight against the Devils. Tarasenko is second in the league in scoring behind Connor McDavid with 34 points and is top-10 in goals, assists and SOG as well. He has a goal and six assists on his current four-game point streak. He is facing a New Jersey team that has lost three straight games and has a league-high 4.00 goals against average (GAA) in the month of December.

Value on Offense

Trevor Lewis ($3,600) – Lewis has five points in his last five games for the Kings and has points in back-to-back outings against the Senators and Sabres. He has three goals, two assists and 13 SOG in those last five games while seeing almost three or four minutes of ice time per night more than his season average.

Jason Zucker ($4,600) – Zucker has been a nice source of offense lately for the Wild, with 10 points in his last 10 games, with two multi-point games including one against the Panthers on Tuesday. He has another favorable matchup against the Predators’ defense that has been shaky lately.

Stud Goalies

Scott Darling ($7,900) – Darling has been particularly good for the Blackhawks since taking the reins after Corey Crawford’s injury. In six games since taking over the Chicago crease, he is 3-2-1 and hasn’t allowed more than one goal against in four straight games. He faces an inconsistent Islanders’ offense tonight on the road and he has a 2.12 GAA in five away starts this year.

Frederik Andersen ($7,800) – Despite playing for a shaky offensive team, Andersen has been holding things down in net lately for the Maple Leafs. He’s 5-3-2 with a 1.89 GAA and .937 save percentage (SV%) in his last 10 starts. He faces the Coyotes tonight, and dating back to his Anaheim days, he’s 5-0-3 with a 1.56 GAA in his career vs Arizona.

Value on Defense

Jake Gardiner ($4,200) – Gardiner has points in three straight games, including power play points (PPP) in his last two games. Gardiner has notched a goal and two assists while adding two blocks and seven SOG on this run.

Brad Hunt ($3,400) – Hunt drew into the Blues’ lineup for a third game on Tuesday and notched a PPG on his only SOG. That’s three points in three games since his call up, and I think he will continue to be a great value play until Carl Gunnarsson draws back into the lineup when he’s healthy.

Power Play Defensemen

Kevin Shattenkirk ($5,300) – Shattenkirk snapped a five-game scoreless streak against the Predators on Tuesday night when he notched a goal and a PPA with four SOG. That’s 21 points in 30 games for Shattenkirk, who is second among NHL defensemen with five PPG and leads them with 13 PPP.

Ryan McDonagh ($5,100) – McDonagh leads the Rangers’ blueline in points and PPP this season and is currently riding a three-game point streak. He is battling the flu but is traveling with the Rangers to Dallas tonight. If he slots back into the lineup, I think he is a great play against a very weak Dallas defense.

Make sure to check out the Cheat Sheet every day, and, as always, for any DFS Hockey questions or comments this season, find me on Twitter at: @JHarding_Hockey.

I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is HardingJ2) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above.

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